Taxus plant named ‘SMNTHDB’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Taxus  plant named ‘SMNTHDB’, characterized by its compact, overall ball-shaped plant form; freely branching habit requiring minimal pruning; dense and bushy appearance; bright green-colored leaves that maintain color throughout the seasons; and good landscape performance and hardiness.

Botanical designation: Taxus x media.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNTHDB’.

CROSS-REFERENCED IN CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Taxus Plant Named ‘SMNTHDPF’

Applicant: Timothy D. Wood

Filed: Concurrently with this application (U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 16/602,661)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Taxusplant, botanically known as Taxus x media, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘SMNTHDB’.

The new Taxus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create new Taxus plants with unique and attractive plantforms.

The new Taxus plant originated from an open-pollination in 2006 in GrandHaven, Mich. of Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent with an unknown selection of Taxus x media as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Taxus plant was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Taxus plant by softwood stem cuttingstaken in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since 2011 hasshown that the unique features of this new Taxus plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Taxus have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such astemperature and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘SMNTHDB’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘SMNTHDB’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofTaxus plant:

-   -   1. Compact, overall ball-shaped plant form.    -   2. Freely branching habit requiring minimal pruning; dense and        bushy appearance.    -   3. Bright green-colored leaves that maintain color throughout        the seasons.    -   4. Good landscape performance and hardiness.

Plants of the new Taxus can be compared to plants of the female parent,‘Hicksii’, in plant size as plants of the new Taxus are more compactthan plants of ‘Hicksii’.

Plants of the new Taxus can be compared to plants of Taxus x media‘SMNTHDC’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,795. Plants of the newTaxus differ primarily from plants of ‘SMNTHDC’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Overall shape of plants of the new Taxus is ball-shaped        whereas overall shape of plants of ‘SMNTHDC’ is columnar.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Taxus are bright green in color        whereas leaves of plants of ‘SMNTHDC’ are darker green in color.

Plants of the new Taxus can also be compared to plants of Taxus x media‘SMNTHDPF’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Patent application filedconcurrently, in plant shape as overall shape of plants of the new Taxusis ball-shaped whereas overall shape of plants of ‘SMNTHDPF’ iscolumnar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Taxus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Taxus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 of 2) is a side perspectiveview of a typical plant of ‘SMNTHDB’ grown in a container in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 of 2) is a side perspectiveview of a typical plant of ‘SMNTHDB’ grown in an outdoor nursery inGrand Haven, Mich. Plants used for the photographs were three years old.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the following observations and measurements were grownduring the summer in five-gallon containers in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. Plants were grown under culturalpractices typical of commercial Taxus plant production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C.and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants were two yearsold when the description was taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Taxus x media ‘SMNTHDB’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Taxus x media,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood stem cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one month at temperatures            about 18° C. to 27° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About three months at            temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.        -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,            substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;            relatively compact, upright to outwardly spreading and            mounding, overall ball-shaped plant form; moderately            vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit requiring minimal            pruning; dense and bushy appearance; about 20 to 50 lateral            branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 47 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 59 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 31 cm. Diameter:            About 5 mm. Internode length: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong,            flexible. Aspect: About 15° to 60° from vertical. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, developing: Close to 143A. Color,            mature: Close to 174B.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 3 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:            Cuspidate. Base: Oblique. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:            Parallel. Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 144C. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 139A; venation, close to 139A; leaf color            is maintained throughout the seasons. Fully expanded leaves,            lower surface: Close to 143A; venation, close to 143A; leaf            color is maintained throughout the seasons. Petioles:            Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 144B.        -   Flower description.—To date, flower development has not been            observed on plants of the new Taxus.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Taxus have    not been observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to    Taxus plants.-   Landscape performance: Plants of the new Taxus have been observed to    have good landscape performance and to be tolerant temperatures    ranging from about −32° C. to about 36° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Taxus plant named ‘SMNTHDB’ asillustrated and described.